2011 Homesteading Skill-A-Month Challenge

**Debbie-cat** · 10-08-2011, 06:55 PM

Made cabbage rolls, sauerkrat and homemade bread yesterday. Made enough cabbage rolls for hunting season and Christmas. All in the freezer. The sauerkrat won't be ready for a few weeks.

**Spirit Deer** · 10-10-2011, 10:10 PM

We're slowly but surely getting our garden ready for winter, too. I have to pick our few beets and carrots yet, and we need to roll up the hoses and put those away. Some are already done.

Still knitting a lot. I need to have the stuff for the military done by the end of the month, and I want Mom's capelet and matching mitts ready for her birthday next month, too.

I did make a new soup for supper, a cheesy veggie soup in the Crock-Pot. It turned out good and now I have another meatless recipe to use. It should freeze well, too.

**Debbie-cat** · 10-18-2011, 08:44 PM

Baked some pumpkin muffins yesterday. That's all the homesteading things I had done lately but my wine is still brewing away and I have to change the container tomorrow. Hope it works out!

**Spirit Deer** · 10-18-2011, 11:11 PM

I pulled up the carrots today, so that's the last of our garden for this year.

I made a huge Crock-Pot full of bean soup, and it turned out great. I think it's the best I've ever made. All it needed was a splash of catsup and some Tabasco and it was perfect!

I also made a WW cheese/beer soup for my lunches this week. Loads of veggies, and it's pretty good. I think it could use a couple slices of bacon, very finely chopped, in future batches though. Two slices wouldn't add significant calories when divided amongst four servings, and the flavor would be worth it.

**Judi Dial** · 10-23-2011, 11:11 AM

Went apple picking with a neighbor Friday. Made apples in brown sugar syrup yesterday. Good stuff!

Plan to make panhowdie today and maybe start a batch of applebutter.

Judi

**peanut** · 10-23-2011, 12:21 PM

I've not been doing much here in the way of homesteady things. Lots of other stuff happening though.

**Luckybustert** · 10-26-2011, 09:04 AM

Originally Posted by Spirit Deer

I also made a WW cheese/beer soup for my lunches this week. Loads of veggies, and it's pretty good. I think it could use a couple slices of bacon, very finely chopped, in future batches though. Two slices wouldn't add significant calories when divided amongst four servings, and the flavor would be worth it.

I absolutely LOVE beer cheese soup! Would you be willing to share your recipe?

**Luckybustert** · 10-26-2011, 09:07 AM

Originally Posted by Debbie-cat

Made cabbage rolls, sauerkrat and homemade bread yesterday. Made enough cabbage rolls for hunting season and Christmas. All in the freezer. The sauerkrat won't be ready for a few weeks.

Mmmm, this sounds so yummy! Is there a particular recipe you use for your cabbage rolls or do they all freeze pretty well? I think it would be interesting to make sauerkraut but I've always been afraid it would make the house smell just awful! Will you be canning or freezing the sauerkraut you're making?

**Debbie-cat** · 10-26-2011, 09:09 AM

I have to figure out what to try for November. With thanksgiving and hunting season during that month plus a whack of knitting I have to complete for Christmas, it has to be something quick and easy!

**peanut** · 10-26-2011, 12:50 PM

I processed 32 c. of pumpkin puree for the freezer yesterday. I guess that's homesteady.

I have to admit, I like this challenge for one thing. My freezer and cold room are full this fall! We should have plenty of food to see us through to the end of January at least. That's when the next big sales come. Though I don't think I could can enough peaches for DH and I if my life depended on it!

Still... November...hmmm...well, I have this new-to-me KitchenAid I want to figure out how to use. Preferably to make sugar-free, fat-free foods. I'm going to try and make bread with it and see how it turns out.

Is there anything else I can make with a KitchenAid that won't horrify my dietitian?

It's a Professional HD form the late 1990s.

**Uniwolf** · 10-26-2011, 04:31 PM

I soooo wish we had a cold room/root cellar. I keep trying to figure out ways to add it to the house some how. Anyone have any thoughts ?

**peanut** · 10-26-2011, 05:37 PM

Uniwolf, we put ours on an outside wall underneath the stairs to the basement. But any outside wall where you can keep things cool with the surrounding uninsulated earth is good. Just build a room around it with insulated walls towards the inside of the the house to keep hot air from getting in.

**Judi Dial** · 10-29-2011, 09:36 AM

Eating Better for Less, there's a discussion about where you can store what types of food, and the requirements for each. They talk about storing food in the attic, basement, furnace room, etc.

The book isn't new (1978), and should be available through your library or an interlibrary loan I'd expect.

If you want to buy it, you'll need the editor (Wolf) and ISBN (0-87857-206-6).

IHTH!

Judi

**Uniwolf** · 10-29-2011, 02:53 PM

Peanut;
Not trying to be crazy here but can I do that if my house is built on a cement slab. Or am I misunderstanding what you are telling me?
Sorry, for a semi smart person, sometimes I am realllllly thick headed